STATEMENT: School Administrators' Union, AFSA Reacts to Connecticut Lawsuit against Federal...

WASHINGTON -- American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA)

Background: The State of Connecticut filed a lawsuit this week in
U.S. District Court, District of Conn. alleging that the U.S. Dept. of
Education violated the unfunded mandates provision of the 'No Child
Left Behind' law, section 9527(a), by requiring states and districts
to spend their own money to comply with the legislation.

AFSA, the only union representing public school principals and administrators, issued today the following statement from National President Baxter Atkinson in reaction to Connecticut's unprecedented lawsuit. President Atkinson served as a principal and teacher in the Hartford, Conn. public schools for 34 years.

"AFSA wholeheartedly supports the move by Connecticut to sue over the 'No Child Left Behind' law. We commend the State for getting out in front of this issue, and taking a courageous stand.

"The law's over-reliance on annual standardized testing does nothing to foster a greater quality of education; rather, it overburdens states and districts with massive new costs to comply with the law's inflexible, strict testing rules.

"Refusing to grant flexibility to states with solid testing procedures already in place, like Connecticut, forces districts and states to pony up their own dollars to comply with the law's testing provisions - even when this makes no sense.

"As a former educator in Hartford public schools for 34 years I can say that like Connecticut, AFSA embraces the law's goal of providing high quality education to students of all backgrounds. Making our students expert test-takers and gouging education budgets is not the way to get there."

The American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA), AFL-CIO is the only national labor union representing public school principals, assistant principals, administrators, and supervisors. AFSA has been fighting for quality public school education since 1976. AFSA provides labor, legislative, political, professional, occupational, and leadership services and benefits to over 20,000 members nationwide and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.